Han Neijenhuis (drums)
Han was born on July 19th 1962 in Brummen, a village in the eastern part of The Netherlands. For nearly 20 years he's living in the small, but beautiful town of Zutphen.
Han started playing the drums when he was 12. Four years later, at the early age of 16, he had his first real live experience as a rock-drummer. It was in February 1979, somewhere in a club in the east of The Netherlands. The band was young and inexperienced, but full with energy and the crowd went wild. Almost thirty years and thousand gigs later Han's passion for rock music is still as huge as it was then.
Already in the beginning Han played bluesrock. The band was called Zame, after a short while they changed it into Blackbury Accident. For several years Han played with these guys all over The Netherlands. Releasing the album Too Late To Hide (1985 - Ivory Tower Records) was his milestone in those days.
After Blackbury Accident Han played in several other bands. Charley's Bluesbrakers was one of them. During the late eighties and early nineties he toured intensively with this blues band. Vangouw was another ambitious and promising band. With this melodic hard rock band, he had some succesfull television- and radio-performances in fact right after their start in 1989. They even signed a record deal with Red Bullet and worked with producers like Alfred 'Big Al' Lagarde and John Sonneveld. However, due to difference of opinion with their record label, the first album Passion Rules was never released.
Although Vangouw ended in 1994 in a disappointment, Han did not leave the music scene, but kept on going. Together with Vangouw-members Gordon Groothedde (guitar player and nowadays a succesfull producer) and Pascal Groenen (bass player, also for a short while member in the Tony Spinner Band) he started the rock coverband Poundcake. Playing all kinds of rock music like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Van Halen and Red Hot Chilli Peppers and with the great singer Jacko Kreukniet, they soon became wellknown in the Dutch rock scene. After Poundcake Han played drums in professional cover bands like Superfly and Nash Unlimited.
Since Han joined the Tony Spinner Band in February 2005 he returned to his blues rock roots. Tony is a fantastic guitar player/singer and Michel a great bass player. Tony's music, which is influenced by rock, blues, funk and soul gives Han - as a drummer - the full opportunity to go loose. A very inspiring and special band to play with', Han says. And also important, for Tony it is not about image, fame or impressing people. It's all about the music and the good feeling.'
In 2006 Han toured, besides the Tony Spinner Band, with the Dutch power blues band Rob Orlemans and Half Past Midnight. Since autumn 2007 Han plays his part, together with bass player Dick Stam, in Sonny Hunt & The Dirty White Boys. This band is formed around guitar player and good friend Sonny Hunt from Nashville, Tennessee. In October 2007 they recorded their debut album The Nashville Blues Sessions in The Creekhouse Studio in Nashville.
Besides his job as a drummer, Han also works as freelance (music) journalist. He interviewed rock artists like Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, Ian Gillan, Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Brian May and all members of Bon Jovi.
Favourite bands: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Free, Rainbow, Rush, Black Crowes, Eagles.
Favourite drummers: John Bonham, Ian Paice, Chad Smith, Matt Abts.
Drumkit:
DW Collector's Series, Maple. Color: Solid White.
18 x 24 bassdrum
9 x 12 tom
14 x 14 floortom
16 x 16 floortom
6 x 14 snare
Paiste 2002 cymbals:
Sound Edge hi-hat 14"
Crash 18" en 16"
Crash 18" (black logo)
Heavy Ride 20"
Istanbul 10" splash
DW5000 twinpedal
Hardware: Pearl
